Message pocket on a doll

ABSTRACT

The message pocket on a doll is a transparent pocket flap affixed to a doll or a stuffed toy. A personalized message medallion, with a message or greeting printed thereon, is inserted into the pocket. The pocket and medallion may be of any shape and located anywhere on a doll or stuffed toy, although the preferred embodiment is a heart-shaped pocket and medallion located on a doll&#39;s chest. The medallion is a stiff card or fabric having a message or greeting on a front surface. The medallion may be a stiff paper or card stock, and may be part of a standard sized sheet of paper or card stock with perforations allowing the medallion to be separated from the sheet. Additionally, the medallion may be attached to a ribbon, chain, or the like so that a child can wear the medallion around her neck.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to dolls and stuffed toys. More specifically, the invention is a message pocket on a doll. A transparent pocket is affixed to a doll or stuffed toy to retain a message medallion bearing a personalized message.

2. Description of the Related Art

Stuffed toys such as animals and dolls have been popular with children for many years. Often given to children as gifts, children might collect many stuffed animals and dolls throughout their childhood and keep them as sentimental keepsakes into adulthood, each one being associated with a particular special occasion or a childhood friend or loved one. Numerous methods have been employed to provide dolls and stuffed animals with a personalized touch that reflects a special person, place, or event.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,146,722, issued on Nov. 14, 2000 to T. Slawin, discloses a figure of an animated creature for retaining and visually displaying a picture. The figure has a body with a front side upon which a means for retaining and visually displaying the picture are disposed. The means for retaining and visually displaying the picture has a transparent outer cover for displaying the picture.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,842,900, issued on Dec. 1, 1998 to G. Hodge, discloses a stuffed doll or toy having multiple inserts for holding photographs or identification sheets.

U.S. Patent Application Publication 2001/0004577, published for R. Lewis on Jun. 21, 2001, discloses a doll or soft toy having a rotatable display device with a plurality of faces, each face carrying either a picture or photograph in a transparent pocket. The display device can be turned to display different pictures or photographs.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,403,224, issued on Apr. 4, 1995 to E. Gintling, discloses a doll having a pocket secured to the face portion of the doll for displaying a photograph.

None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed. Thus a message pocket on a doll solving the aforementioned problems is desired.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The message pocket on a doll is a transparent pocket permanently attached to a doll or a stuffed toy, preferably on the front of the doll or stuffed toy. A personalized message medallion is removably inserted into the pocket, with a message or greeting printed on the front of the medallion, visible through the pocket.

The pocket and medallion may be of any shape, although the preferred embodiment is a heart-shaped pocket and medallion located on the doll's chest.

The medallion is a stiff card or fabric having a message or greeting on a front surface. The message or greeting may be embroidered, or it may be printed or drawn. For printed embodiments of the medallion, the medallion may be a stiff paper or card stock, and may be part of a standard sized sheet of paper or card stock with perforations allowing the medallion to be separated from the sheet.

Additionally, the medallion may be attached to a ribbon, chain, or the like so that a child can wear the medallion around her neck.

Accordingly, it is a principal object of the invention to provide a message pocket on a doll.

It is another object of the invention to provide a message pocket on a doll that is transparent.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a message pocket on a doll along with a message medallion contained within the message pocket.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a message pocket on a doll along with a message medallion that can be worn as a necklace.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a message pocket on a doll along with a message medallion that can be personalized.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a message pocket on a doll along with a message medallion that can be imprinted by a conventional printer with a personalized message.

It is an object of the invention to provide improved elements and arrangements thereof for the purposes described which is inexpensive, dependable and fully effective in accomplishing its intended purposes.

These and other objects of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an environmental, perspective view of a message pocket on a doll according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a fragmented front view of a message pocket on a doll according to the present invention disposed on the chest of a doll.

FIG. 3 is a fragmented view of a message pocket on a doll according to the present invention disposed on the chest of a doll, with a message medallion shown exploded above the message pocket.

FIG. 4A is a perspective view of a message medallion with a ribbon necklace according to the present invention.

FIG. 4B is a perspective view of a message medallion with a chain necklace according to the present invention.

FIG. 5A is a fragmented front view of an alternative shape for a message pocket on a doll along with an alternative message medallion according to the present invention.

FIG. 5B is a fragmented front view of the message pocket of FIG. 5A with another alternative message medallion according to the present invention.

FIG. 6A is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of a message medallion of the present invention formed in a sheet of paper or card stock, defined by perforations to be removable from the paper or card stock.

FIG. 6B is a perspective view of the message medallion illustrated in FIG. 6A, showing the message medallion removed from the sheet of paper or card stock.

Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the attached drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention is a message pocket on a doll, designated generally as 10 in the drawings. The message pocket on a doll 10 is illustrated on a stuffed doll, the stuffed doll being designated generally as 20 in the drawings.

Turning to FIG. 1, a stuffed doll 20 is typically formed from a number of pieces of fabric that are sewn together to form a fabric shell 22 with a hollow interior. The fabric shell 22 has the outward appearance of a doll, often a human child or infant. The fabric shell 22 is filled with a soft stuffing or filling material. A heart-shaped message pocket 10 is shown on the chest of the doll 20, along with a heart-shaped message medallion 40 contained within the message pocket 10.

Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3, the message pocket 10 comprises a flexible and transparent pocket flap 30, preferably disposed on the front of the doll's fabric shell 22. The transparent pocket flap 30 is attached to the fabric shell 22 by stitching 32, glue or other suitable means. A top portion 34 of the transparent pocket flap 30 is left unattached so that the message medallion 40 may be inserted into the message pocket 10.

Turning to FIGS. 4A and 4B, the message medallion 40 is a flat medallion formed of relatively stiff fabric, a heavy paper or card stock, plastic, or any other suitable material. Visual indicia 42, comprising a textual greeting or message, a picture, or a design, is disposed on the message medallion 40. The visual indicia 42 may be drawn, printed, embroidered, or otherwise formed on the message medallion 40.

A necklace, such as ribbon 44, shown in FIG. 4A, or a chain 46, as shown in FIG. 4B, can be affixed to the message medallion 40 so that the doll's owner can wear the message medallion 40.

FIGS. 5A and 5B illustrate additional shapes for the message pocket 10 and the message medallion 40. It can be appreciated that the message pocket 10 is suitable for any type of stuffed toy including dolls, animals, and others, and the message pocket 10 can be placed at any location on the stuffed toy in a variety of sizes and shapes.

In an alternative embodiment, shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, the message medallion 40 is part of a standard sized sheet of heavy paper or card stock 50. Perforations 52 are formed in the heavy paper or card stock 50, defining the perimeter of the message medallion, whereby the message medallion 40 can be separated from the heavy paper or card stock 50. This allows the visual indicia 42 to be printed onto the message medallion 40 by a conventional laser printer or a similar printing device.

It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims. 

1. A message pocket on a doll, comprising: a fabric shell defining an exterior surface of a stuffed toy; a transparent pocket flap having a perimeter that includes a top edge, the pocket flap being attached along a portion of said perimeter to said exterior surface, the top edge being left unattached to form a message pocket having an open top; a message medallion removably contained within said pocket, the message medallion having a front surface, the message medallion being formed from a flat sheet of material; and visual indicia formed on the front surface of said message medallion. 2-3. (canceled)
 4. The message pocket on a doll according to claim 1, wherein said visual indicia is selected from the group consisting of a textual greeting, a textual message, a picture, and a design.
 5. The message pocket on a doll according to claim 1, further comprising a necklace affixed to said message medallion.
 6. The message pocket on a doll according to claim 5, wherein said necklace comprises at least one length of ribbon.
 7. The message pocket on a doll according to claim 5, wherein said necklace comprises at least one length of chain.
 8. The message pocket on a doll according to claim 1, wherein said message medallion is a piece of a stiff fabric.
 9. The message pocket on a doll according to claim 8, wherein said visual indicia is embroidered onto said message medallion.
 10. The message pocket on a doll according to claim 1, wherein said wherein said message medallion is a piece of material selected from the group consisting of heavy paper and card stock.
 11. The message pocket on a doll according to claim 10, wherein said visual indicia is printed onto said message medallion. 